Jake Roberts on advice to Steve Austin, biggest regrets

Hosts Jack E. Jones and One Inch Biceps welcomed wrestling legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts to IYH Wrestling Radio for the fourth time. Some of the highlights of this interview were as follows:

What advice did he give to Steve Austin shortly before his career took off? “Well, I knew that if they ever pushed him that he would wind up a babyface because again he was the same cut as I was as far as being a bad SOB and not doing stuff that was stupid. See, that’s the thing that I drilled into him was don’t go out there and do something that the fans will say, “Hey man that’s BS”, because if you do that you lose your credibility. Once you lose your credibility in the ring you might as well just be Joe Blow, and he never lost his credibility….That was the thing with Steve, I told Steve that when you do turn DON’T CHANGE WHO YOU ARE, because if you do you’re a phony. One of the worst about that was Lex Luger…one week he was a badass, he’d walk to the ring snarling and giving everybody a rough look, and the next week he’s a babyface and he’s out giving high fives. You don’t do that. Once you do that, you’ve told people you’re a complete friggin’ phony and you lose your credibility.”

What was your biggest regret in your life or wrestling? “Ever doing drugs the first time. Absolutely, because drugs are the biggest lie there ever was. You know, you start out doing them and it’s all a good time and nobody’s gettin’ hurt and it’s for fun. But then that monster turns on you and it becomes not only something you want to do, it’s something you have to do. And that’s when it sucks.”

Jake also answered several other questions, such as:

Now that he has retired from wrestling after 37 years, what does he miss the most?

Why was Jake turned as a babyface in the WWF?

If he could suggest one match of his that he would want people to watch, what would it be?

Who in the business except himself could do a good DDT?

What wrestler broke Jake’s sternum twice?

Were any of your promos ever pre-scripted?

The interview with Jake closed with mention of a book he is working on and that if anyone was interested in booking him for appearances to contact Shannon at farmgirl@atlantic.net.This interview is available for listening at http://www.iyhwrestling.com/viewnews.php?autoid=4667